The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1887-11-30

MINI ~ -
nom Mr.. Clusters "Bauts and S5ddcs.el
After many days in the cars, we were
glad 10 stop on an open plain about a
mile from the toWn Of YanktoWn, where
the road ended.
The three chief considerations for a
camp are wood, water, and good ground.
The latter we had, but we were at some
distance from the watpr, and melt er trees
nor brushWood were in sight.
The long trains were unloaded Of their
freight, and the plains about u seemed to
swarm with men and HORSES. The other
ladies Of the regiment went on To the ho-
tel in the town. The household belong
ngs were gathered together. family
Of little new puppies some halfgrown
dogs the cages of mocking birds and ca
naries, were all eoraled safely in little
staekadc made of chests and trunks. aud
we sci ourselves about making Il tempo
rarN home The general and number 81
soldiers, composing the headquarters tie
tail, were obliged To 20 at once to lay out
the main camp and assign the companies
to their places. Later on, when the most
important work w1s done, our tents We're
10 be pitched. While | sat on chest
waiting the air suddenly grew chilly, the
bright sun o1 the morning disappeared,
and the rain began to fall Had we been
accustomed 10 the climate, we would
have known that these changes were the
precursors of snow-storm
When We left Memphis not fortnight
later we Wore muslin GOWNS and were
then intentionally warm it seened inn
| possible HAT even 50 far north there
could be returned winter in. the middle
/ of April. We Mere yet To realize what
had been told Us Of the climate, that
there We're eight mouths of winter and
four Of very late i'll the fall
j As the afternoon of that first day adj
yanced, the wind blew colder, and found
myself ewing With envy little half fin
isbed cabin, without an enclosure, stand
ing by itself. Years Of cncounlering the
Winds of Kansas, when our tents were
torn and blown down 50 often, had
taught us to appreciate any kind of
house, even though it We're built upon the
sand as this one was. The change Of eli
mate from the extreme south to the far
north had made IA number of the men i'll, |
ahd even the superb health of the general
had suffered. He continued to superin- /
tend the camp, however, though begged /
him from time to time to give up. | felt /
sure he needed Il shelter and some e m |
fort at once. SO took courage to plan |
for myself After the general had con-
scntcd that we should try for the little
house, some of the kind-hcalted soldiers
found the owner in Il distant cabin, and |
he rented it to us for few days The
place was equal to a palace for me. There |
WAS no plastcring, and the house seemed |
hardly waterproof 1t had no lloor how
ever, aud an upper story divided of by
beams; over these Mary 5thc coored |
cook and | stretched blankets and shawls |
and 50 made two rooms. 1t did not take
long to settle our few things, and when |
wood and water were brought from dis
tance We were quite ready for house- keep |
rg, except that we lacked Il stove aud
some supplies. Mary walked into the |
town TO hire or buy a small cooking
stove, but She could not induce the mcr-
chant to bring it out that night, She was
thoughtful enough to take along a basket |
and brought with her II little marketing.
Before she had come within sight of the
cabin on her retur', the snow was falling
SO fast it was with difficulty she found
her way
Meanwhile thu general had returned
completely exhausted and very ill. With |
out his knowledge sent for the surgeon,
"
powerful medicine to administer every
hour, and forbade the general to leave his
bed. 1t was growing dark, and we were
in the midst of a Dakota blizzard. The |
snow was 50 fine that it penetrated the
smaller cracks, and soon we found white |
lines appearing all around us, where the |
roof joined the walls, on the windows
and under the doors. Outside the air was |
so thick with the whirliug, tiny particles
that il was almost impossible to see ones |
hand held out before one. The snow was
fluffy and thick, like wool. and fell 80 rap |
idly, and seemingly from all directions
that it gave me feeling of sutiocation as
stood outside Mary was not easily |
discouraged and piing few light fagots
outside the door, she tried to light a fire
The wind and mufiling SNOW put out ey-
cry little blaze that started, however, and |
50, giving il up she went into the house
and found the luncheon basket we had I
brought from the car in which remained /
our sandwiches and these composed our
supper
The night had almost settled down upon I
a, When the adjHtant came for orders. +
knowing the scarcity of fuel and the dan
ger 10 the horses from exposure to the /
rtgur oil sncll weather after their removal
from Il VAIN climate the general order
ed a breaking of emp. All the soldiers
were directed 10 take heir horses and 80
into Yunktou. and ask the citizens Ia give
them shelter III their homes cow-shctls
and stables la short time the camp
was nearly deserted, only the lanndrcs>es,
two or three officers. and few di>moun-
ed soldiers remaining. Tie towns people
true to the uuvarying western hospitality.
Ia, I In, #
the regiment; the officers found place in
the hotels The sounds of the hoofs of
the hurrling horses 1} in9 by our cabin on
their way to the town had hardly died out
before the black night closed in and left
Us alone on that wide, deserted plain. The
servants, Mary and Ham did what they
could To make the room below stai's com
Portable by stopping the cracks and bar
Reading the fral door. The thirty-six
hours of our Imprisonment tn re seems
now a frghtful nightmare. The wind
grew higher and higher, and shrekcd
= out the llltle house in di>may 1t was
built without a fanm'atian and was 50
ricket il seemed A. l. rlchrd in n great
q lst of wind that il surely Nouid Toe IN
rooted or overturned Tie general was
too i'll for me to vcuttlre 10 find my usual
comfort from his rr-assurng voice.
dress ell in my heaviest jacket and gown,
aud remained in under the blankets a.
much as | could to keep warm. Occas-
sionally crept out to shake of the SHOWS
from the count lpanc, FIR it >ifted in be-
tween the roof and the chtbnards very
rapidly. | hardly dared take the little
phial in my benunbed fingers to drop the
| precious medicine for fear it wonld fail
| | realized as The night advanced that We
were lated from thg wn, and even thu
camp, not a lnile al flit Il. II we had been
on an island IN the island in the river.
The doctor had intended Ia return To us.
but his serious face aud impressive in
functions ma te me certain that he cunsd-
Al.